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OTTAWA, May 14, 2012 — Today, the Honourable Vic Toews, Canada's Minister of Public Safety, announced the release of the Considerations for United States – Canada Border Traffic Disruption Management guide. The guide, which was developed jointly by Public Safety Canada and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, fulfils one of the first commitments under the Canada-U.S. Action Plan on Perimeter Security and Economic Competiveness.

"The Action Plan on Perimeter Security and Economic Competitiveness sets ambitious, achievable goals that will advance economic opportunity and lead to a more efficient border. Implementation of this guide will help maintain economic stability and ensure that priority traffic moves freely towards and away from the secure Canada – US border during times of crisis," said Minister Toews. "This plan is the result of close collaboration with a wide range of stakeholders, including government officials from the local, state, and provincial/territorial level, to manage the flow of traffic near the border during a disruption."

The guide outlines best practices and identifies critical issues to consider when developing or updating traffic management plans to ensure they are tailored to address regional requirements and individual border crossings. The guide provides specific actions and questions for stakeholders in the areas of:

preparedness;

communications and information management;

resource management;

command and management; and

on-going management and maintenance.

As a next step, Public Safety Canada (PS) and U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials will engage with regional authorities to adapt the guide to specific points of entry and conduct cross-border regional exercises. PS and DHS will report annually on the percentage of priority border crossings that are covered by a regional plan and validated through an exercise.